Denver, Colorado – The following statement is from Ted Kowalski, director of the Colorado River initiative at the Walton Family Foundation, in support of the U.S.-Mexico Colorado River agreement announced today:

Without new approaches to water management in the Colorado River Basin, there will no longer be enough water in the river to meet growing demand from our farms, our cities, and the river itself. While we understand this won’t be easy, we believe today’s agreement represents a meaningful commitment to achieve solutions that bring stability, reliability, and sustainability to the region. And while this is a positive step, it is only one step. Today proves that we can bring diverse parties together to develop creative solutions that benefit everyone involved, and we must continue to work together to solve the water resource challenges facing the Colorado River basin.

At the Walton Family Foundation, we believe conservation solutions that make economic sense are the ones that stand the test of time. Our mission is to improve lives and secure healthy ocean and river ecosystems by aligning environmental, social and economic interests.

The Walton Family Foundation is pleased to announce that Monica Medina is joining the environment program as deputy director, effective May 31. In this capacity, Monica will also direct the oceans initiative, which invests in the Americas—the United States, Mexico, Chile and Peru—and Indonesia to end overfishing, improve ocean health and preserve coastal livelihoods. Monica Medina most recently served as the senior director of international ocean policy at the National Geographic Society.